The donor rolls of the National Rifle Association and Planned Parenthood do not share many of the same names. But these organizations’ responses to the events of recent months—especially the Sandy Hook shooting and the trial of Kermit Gosnell—have demonstrated that they do share a troubling characteristic. Both reject reasonable limitations on the particular liberty for which they advocate. In so doing, they disregard the well-regulated liberties that vast majorities of our country desire.

An Insider’s Guide to 3D PrintingConfused about the 3D printing phenomenon? This new technology has plenty of hype, but is it the future of manufacturing and biotechnology?

Link to Ethical Scandal Tarnishes Prestigious Award
Former Surgeon General Dr. Thomas Parran Jr. (1936-1948) was ahead of his time, but he was also complicit in two of the most egregious medical scandals of the 20th century. What does this mean for the prestigious Parran Award? What are scientists to do when they name their most prestigious award for an icon linked years later to unethical research?

Michael Baur is a philosopher-lawyer who uses his double expertise to study social ontology.Photo by Bruce Gilbert

By Joanna Klimaski

If a tree falls on you in the woods and nobody sees it, have you been wronged?

You might have been harmed, but you would probably not accuse the tree of violating your human rights by falling over and crushing you. Unless, that is, you believe that rights are non-relational—then you might have some trouble getting the tree off the hook.

One justification for such a tax, he argued, was that it would help to reduce meat-consumption and thereby help to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. As Singer rightly pointed out, a 2006 study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization showed that livestock are responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined. More specifically, the study showed that worldwide livestock farming causes about 18% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, while only about 13% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions were caused by all forms of transportion combined (see this BBC news article for more on this).

International Group of Scientists Led by Fordham Professor Daniela Jopp Respond to Call by United Nations to Create Human Rights Legislation to Protect Older Individuals

Professor Daniela Jopp

Prof. Daniela Jopp has taken the lead to respond to the call for non-governmental organization input from the United Nation’s working group on ageing, issued by the Division for Social Policy and Development. A total of 20 internationally renowned scientists with research programs focused on very old individuals –centenarians in particular – have contributed to the letter sent to Social Affairs Officer Robert Venne, and supported its submission.